The most thrilling show I've seen recently was Helena Kaut-Howson's production of Sons Without Fathers at the Arcola. It was joyous and messy and very, very funny – I was buzzing at the interval and gobsmacked by the end. Also, Chimerica rendered me a blubbing mess – a very clever play that has stayed with me since, and great news that it's transferring to the West End.

Television

I love the virtuosity and imaginative chutzpah of Da Vinci's Demons, and not just because my boyfriend is in it! And I remain enthralled by Mad Men and its disconcertingly elegant moral ambivalence. It invites you to make your own judgements, and its scope feels akin to a great novel. Addictive stuff.

Visual Arts

I felt really inspired – if exhausted – by the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A. The dialogue he explored between the different mediums felt genuinely revolutionary, and I loved plotting how he's incorporated his multiple influences into his work.

Books

I'm halfway through Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids, which is heart-stoppingly vivid. It drips with beauty and hope and devastating candour. I don't want it to end.

'A Doll's House', Duke of York's Theatre, London WC2 (www.adollshouselondon.com) 8 August to 26 October